The Michigan Oral Health Conference will take place on May 19 and May 20 (if you haven't already registered, here's the link to sign up: Michigan Oral Health Conference.) During the conference, the Michigan Primary Care Association alongside DentaQuest are sponsoring a dinner and education session on May 19, 2016 at 5:30 pm ET at Crowne Plaza Lansing West.

The topic for the dinner and education session is Practice Viability as a Medicaid Provider and will featureCharles Czerepak, DMD, Pediatric Dentist and Member of the American Dental Association Medicaid Provider Advisory Committee, and Steve Geiermann DDS, Staff Dentist, American Dental Association and former Regional Dental Consultant, Health Resources and Services Administration. Charles and Steve will share insights, opportunities and threats regarding program integrity, compliance, fraud, advocacy and how better to safeguard your practice and yourselves while providing care to this growing population. Special emphasis will be given to the importance of proper documentation for medical necessity.

If you are a Health Center leader or dental provider, this is an event you will not want to miss. There is no cost to attend the dinner and education session, but advanced registration is required. In addition, attendees are also eligible for two (2) continuing education credits from the Michigan Board of Dentistry and Academy of General Dentistry.

Please note that you must be logged in to MPCA’s online community when registering for MPCA-hosted events to receive a discounted rate if your organization is an MPCA member. If you are subscribed to the MPCA eUpdate, you have a profile in MPCA's online community. If you have forgotten your password, please use the "forgot password" link under the sign-in box to reset your password. If you need further assistance, please contact info@mpca.net.

MPCA posts job openings at Michigan Health Center Program grantees, Michigan FQHC Look-Alikes, and MPCA active member organizations. To submit a job opening for posting in the online MPCA Career Center and in the MPCA eUpdate, email the job title, a brief overview, a bulleted list of qualifications, and instructions on how to apply to info@mpca.net with Job Posting in the subject field.

Update from NACHC

On March 28, 2016, the National Association of Community Health Centers published a blog post and press release on "House and Senate Lawmakers Hail Community Health Centers as a Bipartisan Solution."

An overwhelmingly bipartisan coalition of House and Senate lawmakers called on key subcommittee chairs “to recognize Health Centers as providers of high quality, cost-effective primary care” and to ensure continued funding for a model of care that offers a “bipartisan solution to the primary care access problems” facing the U.S. The Senate letter was signed by 62 Members of the Senate (39 Democrats, 22 Republicans and 2 Independents). The House letter was signed by 307 Members of the House (178 Democrats, 129 Republicans).

The Michigan Caries Prevention Program (MCPP) is offering free direct-to-provider training and technical assistance to help primary care providers, including clinical support staff, to integrate preventive oral health services for children during the appropriate well-child visits as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.

Enroll in this program by September 2016 to be eligible for 30 Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits and20-25 Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Part IV credits as part of a joint-providership with the University of Michigan Medical School and Health System.

On March 29, 2016, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a finalized rule to strengthen access to mental health and substance use services for individuals with Medicaid or Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage, aligning with protections already required of private health plans. The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 generally requires health insurance plans treat mental health and substance use disorder benefits on equal footing as medical and surgical benefits.

U.S. Health & Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell stated "Today’s rule eliminates a barrier to coverage for the millions of Americans who for too long faced a system that treated behavioral health as an unequal priority. It represents a critical step in our effort to ensure that everyone has access to the care they need. This rule will also increase access to evidence-based treatment to help more people get the help they need for their recovery and is critical in our comprehensive approach to addressing the serious opioid epidemic facing our nation.” The complete press release can be found here.

340B Registration Period Opens April 1

The next quarterly 340B registration period for Health Centers who want to participate in the drug discount program begins April 1, 2016.

Covered entities who register between April 1 and April 15 will be eligible to participate in the program beginning July 1, 2016.

The plan includes not only goals but also outlines the efforts and progress made during the 2012-2015 Infant Mortality Reduction Plan. According to the 2014 estimate, the state rate is currently down to 6.75 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, nearing the Healthy People 2020 goal of six infant deaths per 1,000 live births.

Of note, in 2013, five out of every 1,000 Caucasian babies and 10 out of every 1,000 Hispanic babies died before their first birthday. Among African American babies, the rate is 13 out of every 1,000 babies. The numbers indicate persistent and troubling racial disparities.

The new plan continues and strengthens efforts to address the social, emotional and environmental factors that affect health and health equity.